TORONTO -- April 18, 2015, was a glorious early-spring day in downtown Toronto, sunny and reasonably warm. Thousands of Toronto Raptors fans had packed into Maple Leaf Square to watch a massive screen on the side of Air Canada Centre, the fulfillment of an urban planner's dream.
Just after noon, Masai Ujiri stepped onto a temporary stage wearing one of his trademark form-fitting dark suits and was handed a live microphone. The Raptors' general manager and team executives were anxious to show off the admirable scene with a special guest who'd flown in for the kickoff of the playoffs, NBA commissioner Adam Silver.